Main menu

Millen will pilot 600-hp Bentley Bentayga up Pikes Peak

Millen has his eyes set on Paul Dallenbach's Range Rover record

March 27, 2018

Share

Facebook

Tweet

Pinterest

Email

Driver, drifter and rally star Rhys Millen will tackle Pikes Peak this year in a 12-cylinder Bentley Bentayga SUV. Millen already owns the modified electric record at the 156-turn, 12.4-mile hill climb in Colorado. He also holds the time attack 2 record in a 2017 Acura NSX.

The current SUV record is held by driver Paul Dallenbach, who achieved a time of 12 minutes, 35.61 seconds in a Range Rover Sport.

Hill-climb hot shoe Millen will partner with Bentley motorsport engineer David Argent on the project. Millen has been driving a road-going Bentayga "for practice" in California since the plans were announced in January.

“You don’t need to spend much time in this car to evaluate its potential,” Millen told Autocar. “Pikes Peak is a ‘burst speed’ course, not a ‘sustained speed’ course, and the production values of the Bentayga are going to shine in that environment.”

The third time is a charm for Romain Dumas. Dumas powered his Norma MXX RD Limited to a third Pikes Peak Hill Climb overall title Sunday.The win, his third in the last four years, came ...

The 2 1/2-ton Bentley will make the climb thanks to 600 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbocharged W12. The turbos help, considering the thin air at those altitudes. The current record-holding Range Rover got by with 510 hp and 461 lb-ft, and weighs about the same as the Bentayga, so in theory Millen should be faster. However, Dallenbach currently owns a few Pikes Peak records too, including the time attack 1 record.

“One of the most impressive things I’ve found with this car is the gearshift,” said Millen. “The first four gears are stacked very closely. The average speed for the run will be mid-70 mph, and the maximum speed will be in the region of 125 mph. But for most of the run, I’ll be between second and fourth.”

The Bentayga will be gently prepared for the event, staying as close to stock as possible. Changes include a racing seat, the removal of the rest of the seats, and the removal and replacement of the panoramic glass roof. It’s about 600 pounds lighter than the stock car, but still in the 2-ton-plus range.